Mulligan inspires Tyrone

Tyrone 1-16 Roscommon 0-8:TWO FORWARDS at opposite ends of their careers starred as Tyrone produced a workmanlike performance to easily overcome Roscommon in a second-round qualifier before an attendance of 6,774 at Hyde Park on Saturday.

The visitors were never in trouble once Peter Harte netted a penalty but it was two other forwards who were most prominent in a facile victory. Owen Mulligan has already won three All-Ireland medals in a glittering career but he showed his appetite for further success is undimmed with a classy display which yielded 0-5.

In the second half Mickey Harte introduced the latest product of the Tyrone underage conveyor belt when 19-year-old Darren McCurry came off the bench to score 0-4.

Mulligan’s excellence illuminated a scrappy first half. Joe McMahon and Martin Penrose landed early points for Tyrone.

Roscommon’s Cathal Cregg got the home team off the mark in the 11th minute and the exchange of points continued for the next 20 minutes. Tyrone finished the half strongly with points from Mulligan (two) and Jonathan Lafferty.

They carried the momentum into the second half and had the game won after 45 minutes as Harte scored a penalty after Mark Donnelly was brought down by Niall Carty. Further points from Mulligan (two) and McCurry opened up a nine-point lead by the 44th minute and Tyrone were in control as Roscommon scored just 0-4 in the second half.

TYRONE: P McConnell; A McCrory, C Clarke, D Carlin; C McCarron, C Gormley, S O'Neill (0-1); J McMahon (0-2, one free), C Cavanagh; Mattie Donnelly, Mark Donnelly, P Harte (1-0, penalty); M Penrose (0-2, one free), J Lafferty (0-1), O Mulligan (0-5, two frees). Subs: R McMenamin for McCarron (40 mins), D McCurry (0-4) for Lafferty (42 mins), B McGuigan for Donnelly (56 mins), A Cassidy for Cavanagh (58 mins), N McKenna (0-1) for Penrose (62 mins).

ROSCOMMON:G Claffey; S McDermott, N Carty, S Purcell; N Collins, P Domican, I Kilbride; C Shine, K Mannion; N Kilroy, C Cregg (0-4), N Daly; S Kilbride (0-1), C Compton, D Shine (0-2, one free). Subs: G Heneghan (0-1, free) for Kilroy (h-t), D Ward for Collins, M Finneran for Compton (both 50 mins), D McDermott for Daly (59 mins), D Smith for Mannion (63 mins).

Referee:R Hickey (Clare).